DBMD Leadership

What is the DBMD?

The DBMD stands for District Board Of Ministerial Development. This board of pastors and lay people meet annually with those studying for ministry until the point of ordination. The DBMD will help you define your call to ministry, and will look for the spiritual gifts and graces necessary for serving God’s people in ministry well.

There shall be a district board of ministerial development which shall be responsible for the examination and recommendation to the district conference of all candidates for ordination, license, commission, ministerial study, restoration or transfer from another denomination. (DISC. 1375)

Pre DBMD Team will be charged with the ongoing process of guiding an individual who desires to be a ministerial student under district supervision through the process of Commissioning/Ordination license, holding each person accountable to the education track the denomination has set forth.

Responsible For:

1. Yearly meeting with every ministerial student following Discipline recommendations for questions.

A. DISC. 1390:1-6

(1) To examine carefully (cf. 1935:15) each candidate for election by the district conference to ordination or election to a commissioned minister’s status, the granting of a district ministerial license, a license as a ministerial student, a commission or license as special worker, a commission as a lay missionary and any other commission or license as may be authorized by The Discipline. The examination shall include an interview with each candidate, making such investigation as is deemed necessary to affirm the individual’s:

(a) Personal experience of salvation and entire sanctification;

(b) Full commitment to the Articles of Religion, Membership Commitments, Elementary Principles and polity of The Wesleyan Church and acceptance of its authority;

(c) Evidence of having the qualifications for the ministry to which the candidate feels called as set forth in The Discipline. The examination shall result in recommendations to the district conference for those whom the district board of ministerial development judges to be qualified for said ministry (cf. 1381; 1390:5).

(2) To consider each person recommended by a local church conference (655:8) or circuit conference (528:2) or local board of administration (655:8) for the granting of a license as a ministerial student (1240:IV; 3015:1) and to recommend to the district conference for such license those who are deemed worthy (1180:29b, c; cf. 3350:2); to encourage all such ministerial students to enroll for ministerial training in an approved school of The Wesleyan Church (2365; 2382); to supervise and counsel them, keeping a record of their ministerial studies (1387:2) and cooperating with the director of the Ministerial Study Course Agency in supervising those enrolled in courses under the Agency (2388; cf. 3170-3210).

(3) To consider and examine any person who desires to be received into the district from another denomination, and to be recognized as an ordained, commissioned or licensed minister or commissioned special worker and to recommend to the district conference for reception as in process of transfer, and subsequently for recognition as in full standing, only such a person as it deems properly qualified according to The Discipline (cf. 3104; 3470); and, in the interim of district conference sessions, to make such recommendation to the district board of administration (1233:36).

(4) To consider and examine any person applying for reinstatement or restoration of ordination, commission or license and to recommend to the district conference only such a person as it deems properly qualified according to The Discipline (cf. 3120-3124; 5230-5251).

(5) To present to the district conference, as a separate report, a recommendation for the election of a candidate to ordination as an ordained minister (1180:28; cf. 3070:5) or commission as a minister (3059) or the reinstatement or restoration of ministerial credentials and to present to the district conference a combined report of all other recommendations concerning the commissioning, licensing, and recognition of ministers and special workers and the licensing of ministerial students (1180:29; 3015:1).

(6) To serve, with the exception of the lay members, and when so designated by the district conference (1180:34; cf. 1233:37), as a council of ordination (1405); and to perform such other duties as may be assigned by the district conference.

There shall be a district board of ministerial development which shall be responsible for the examination and recommendation to the district conference of all candidates for ordination, license, commission, ministerial study, restoration or transfer from another denomination, as well as those that have retired. (DISC. 1375)

Post DBMD Team will be charged with the ongoing relationship between the district and those who have attained their Commissioning/Ordination license (This would also include all Special Licensed Workers.)

Responsible For:

1. Yearly contact with every licensed personnel in the North Michigan District, including retired. (A personnel list will be equally divided up between all Post DBMD team.)

A. Topics to discuss would include but not be limited to: any concerns, spiritual, emotional, financial that may need addressing, health of the minister (mental, spiritual, emotional, physical),and any other communications they would like to make back to the district.

B. Another aspect of the communication is to let them know that the ordination process has a continuing component. There needs to be accountability to being a part of the LDJ groups, lighthouse events, and other avenues to further their ministerial development.

2. ASR Follow-up and “investigations”. (DIC 1390:7b-9)

A. ASR Report

i. Receive ASR (D.S. & DBMD Chair)

ii. Review ASR (D.S. & DBMD Chair)

iii. D.S. &/or DBMD will submit report from DBMD for those personnel that are approved and contact personnel informing them of acceptance.

iv. D.S. &/or DBMD chair will assign personnel to Post DMBD Team for follow-up and investigation. A report will then be submitted by Post DBMD Team.

B. ASR Follow-up/Investigation Assigned by D.S &/or DBMD Chair

i. 1390:7(b) A report in which there are unsatisfactory answers, or which shows that the work has not been done according to The Discipline, or that the annual statistical report (1352:1) has not been properly submitted, shall be reviewed with the person submitting the report. If reasons for such irregularities are not satisfactory to the district board of ministerial development, the report shall be marked as unsatisfactory and returned to the person submitting it (cf. 1390:9). (8) To investigate the reason for the failure to submit an annual service report on the part of those persons required to do so (1402; 3015:4), and to take appropriate action as set forth in 3040:1; 3059:4c; 3089:3; 3460; and 3470. (9) To present a report (cf. 1381) to the district conference concerning the results of the examination of the annual service reports, listing all members of the district responsible to submit such reports as to whether their reports were approved, unsatisfactory or not received. The district board of ministerial development shall report to the district conference concerning a person whose annual service report has been found unsatisfactory (1390:7b) and it shall require a two-thirds vote of confidence by the district conference to approve such a person for continued appointment.